Phonograph reproducer



July 1 1924. 1,499,658

J. HOFFAY PHONOGRAPH REPRODUCER Filed May '7, 1920 Show-m JOSfPH Harm Y rier.

Patented July 1, 1924.

UNlTED STATES 1,499,958 PATENT OFFICE."

JOSEPH. HOFFAY, or new YORK, N. Y. i f

PHONOGRAPH REPROD'UGER.

Application filed. May 7,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH HOFFAY, a citizen of Mexico, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Phonograph Reproducers, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

This invention relates to sound boxes, phonographs, gramopho-nes and the like, and more particularly to the means for mounting the stylus lever or carrier on the sound box, whereby the desired degree of tension on the diaphragm may be had with the greatest convenience in manipulation.

The present invention is in the nature of improvement on devices disclosed in prior patents, as follows: 1,326,932, Jan. 6, 1920; 1,291,887, Jan. 21, 1919, and in my prior ap plication Serial No. 242,988 filed July 2,

In the present invention, I have preserved the free mounting of the stylus carrier disclosed in my prior cases and hold it to its bearing by resilient means. In the present invention I also apply yielding forces to the diaphragm, said forces acting in opposite directions so that the diaphragm is quickly responsive to vibrations and also quickly returns to its normal state when displaced therefrom. These yielding forces also hold the stylus carrier to its fulcrum.

An important feature of my present invention resides in the provision of means whereby these yielding forces may be readily adjusted, and preferably this adjustmentis accomplished by providing spring arms extending from the fulcrum in opposite directions but having their major portion lying. in a plane substantially parallel to the'plane of the diaphragm, and having means engaging their free ends for longitudinal adjustment to said spring arms to thereby vary the pressure both against the diaphragm and against the fulcrum of the stylus car- Other features and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description and claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of my improved sound box; I j

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view artly in section alongthe line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a bottom elevational view;

1920. Serial No. 379,449.

for supporting the stylus carrier on the.

sound box; v

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a slightly modified construction, and Figs. 7 and 8 are a detail.

Referring to the drawing, the sound box 1, which may be of any known or approved construction, carries the diaphragm 2 which maybe mounted therein between discs 3 of sound insulating material (see Fig. 5). Secured to the diaphragm at t, in the cus tomary manner, is the lever 5 forming part of the stylus carrier 6, which carrier has arms 7 projecting from opposite sides thereof, said arms formed adjacent to the sound box, with knife edges engaging each a notch 8Fig. 5cut into the bottoms of lugs 9 projecting from the sound box, the notches 8 being in a plane parallel to the plane of the diaphragm.

In order that the diaphragm may quickly respond to movements transmitted to it from the sound groove through the stylus carrier, said carrier is mounted so that the diaphragm is held by yielding forces which act in opposite directions. These forces are applied byspring arms 10 having their greater length in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the diaphragm, said spring arms being made of wire and are relatively long and sufficiently strong tov quickly return the diaphragm to normal position.

Each of the arms 10 is fastened to the stylus carrier in any suitable manner, and in the particular embodiment 'shown the ends of the diaphragm. One example of the method of binding the wires is illustrated in Fig. 8,

the full lines showing the position of one of the wires after its end 13 is confined, the

dotted lines showing the portion from the point 11, bent up so as to give the tension above referred to. .Forthe purpose of varying the tension exerted by the springs 10, at will, the ends 13 engage in longitudinal bores in screws 14, threaded into lugs 15, projecting from the sound box. Longitudinal adjustment of either screw let will vary the tension on its spring arm, and the tension on the stylus carrier will also be varied. The pressures caused by these springs will be exerted on the diaphragm in the opposite di tion, and may be very delicately adjusted.

In order that'the rotational forces exerted by the spring arms 10 may be greater, 1 have shown a form of device in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 in which there is a lateral projection 16 from each of the lugs 15, under which the end of a spring arm remote from the fulcrum of the stylus carrier extends, and against which it bears. Otherwise the construction of Fig. 6 is identical with that shown in the other figures. It is, of course, understood that variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim as new is:

1. A phonographic sound box comprising a casing and a diaphragm in said casing, a stylus carrier having an operative connection with said diaphragm and fulcrumed upon said casing, means for holding said carrier upon its fulcrum, said holding means held by said casing so that it may oscillate with said carrier, and means for varying the pressure on the diaphragm by longitudinal adjustment of said carrierholding means.

2. A phonographic sound box comprising a casing and a diaphragm in said casing, a stylus carrier having an operative connection with said diaphragm and fulcrumed upon said casing, yielding arms connected to said carrier at its fulcrum, each of said arms having a portion extending from said fulcrum in opposite directions and at an angle to the plane of the diaphragm but having their greater length substantially parallel to the diaphragm, and means for adjustably confining the ends of said arms so that tension on said diaphragm may be varied by longitudinal movement of either arm.

3. A. phonographic sound box comprising a casing and a diaphragm in said casing, a stylus carrier having an operative connection with said diaphragm and fulcrumed upon said casing, yielding arms connected to said carrier at its fulcrum, each of said arms having a portion extending from said fulcrum in opposite directions and at an angle to the plane of the diaphragm but having their greater length substantially parallel to the diaphragm, screws supported on said casing, the ends of each of said arms remote from the fulcrum engaging a longitudinal bore in a screw whereby the turning of a screw acts to vary the tension on the diaphragm.

4-. A phonographic sound box comprising a casing and a diaphragm in said casing, a stylus carrier having an operative connection with said diaphragm and fulcrumed upon said casing, spring arms connected to said stylus carrier at its fulcrum, each arm bent so as to provide a portion extending away from the fulcrum, a portion substantially parallel to the plane of the diaphragm, a portion extending inwardly towards the plane of the diaphragm, and another portion extending substantially parallel to the diaphragm but in the opposite dir ction from said first-mentioned parallel portion, screws carried by said casing, said latter portion of each of said arms engaging in a longitudinal bore in said screw.

5. A phonographic sound box compris ing a casing and a. diaphragm in said casing, a stylus carrier having an operative connection with said diaphragm and fulcrumed upon said casing, spring arms connected to said stylus carrier at its fulcrum, said spring arms so bent that longitudinal movement of one end of each arm will result in varying the pressure of the stylus carrier against the sound box and also the rotational pressure on the stylus carrier.

6. A phonographic sound box comprising a casing and a diaphragm in said casing, a stylus carrier having operative engagement with said diaphragm and fulcrumcd upon said casing, spring arms connected to said stylus carrier at its fulcrum, said spring arms mounted so that one end of each maybe moved longitudinally, said movement resulting in varying the pressure of the stylus carrier against the sound box. 7. A phonographic sound box comprising a casing and a diaphragm therein, a stylus carrier mounted on. said casing on a fulcrum which is substantially parallel to the plane of the diaphragm, spring arms connected to said stylus carrier, said arms being so shaped that longitudinal adjustment thereof acts to vary the pressure on said stylus carrier, and means for confining said arms near their adjustable ends.

8. A phonographic sound box comprising a casing, and a diaphragm in said casing, a stylus carrier having operative connection with said diaphragm and fulcrumed upon said casing in the plane of the diaphragm, yielding arms connected to said carrier at its fulcrum, each of said arms having portions extending substantially parallel to the plane of the diaphragm but outside of said plane, and means for confining the ends of said arms remote from the fulcrum, so as to produce pressure on opposite sides of said diaphragm.

9. A phonographic sound box comprising a casing and a diaphragm in said casing, a stylus carrier having operative connection with said diaphragm and fulcrumed upon said casing in the plane of the diaphragm, yielding arms connected to said carrier at its fulcrum, each of said arms having portions extending substantially parallel to the plane of the diaphragm but outside of said plane, and means for confining the ends of said arms remote from the fulcrum, so as to produce tension on said stylus carrier, tending to hold it against said casing.

10. A plionographic sound box comprising a casing, and a diaphragm in said casing,

a stylus carrier having operative connection With said diaphragm and fulcrumed upon said casing in the plane of the diaphragm, yielding arms connected to said carrier at its fulcrum, each of said arms having portions extending substantially parallel to the plane of the diaphragm but outside of said plane, and means for confining the ends of said arms remote from the fulcrum, so as to produce tension on said stylus carrier, tending to hold it against said casing and to rock it on its fulcrum.

11. A phonographio sound box comprising a casing and a diaphragm in said casing, a stylus carrier having operative connection with said diaphragm and fulcrumed upon said casing, yielding arms connected to said carrier substantially in the plane of its fulcrum, each of said arms having portions extending substantially parallel to the plane of the diaphragm but outside of the plane of said fulcrum, and means for confining the ends of said arms remote from the fulcrum so as to produce pressure on opposite sides of said diaphragm.

12. A phonographic sound box comprising a casing and a diaphragm in said casing, a stylus carrier having operative connection With said diaphragm and fulcrumed upon said casing yielding arms connected to said carrier substantially in the plane of its fulcrum, each of said arms having portions extending substantially parallel to the plane of the diaphragm but outside of the plane of said fulcrum, so as to produce tension on said stylus carrier, tending to hold it against of April, 1920.

JOSEPH HOFFAY. 

